Bark-peeling apparatus



Nov. 22, 1966 1.. ERIKSSON 3,286,746

BARKPEELING APPARATUS Filed June 18, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT ORATTORNEYS Nov. 22, 1966 Filed June 18, 1964 L. ERIKSSON BARK-FEELINGAPPARATUS 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR 15/; [emssom ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent ()fiice 3,286,746 Patented Nov. 22, 1966 4 Claims. (a. 144-208The present invention relates to a log barking device of the typecomprising a large revolving barking drum.

Logs covered with bark are fed into one end of the drum and aredischarged at the other end with the bark removed, the bark beingstripped from the logs due to the relative movement therebetween uponrotation of the drum. Inside most barking drums numerous longitudinallyextending ribs or staves which are known as barking irons, are providedfor tumbling the logs, thereby increas ing the relative movementtherebetween. Openings should be provided in the drum shell for removalof the bark, and therefore the barking irons are peripherally spaced soas to form slot-like openings therebetween, through which the bark, butnot the logs, may escape. Thus, the actual drum is constitutedsubstantially by the barking irons, which, however, must be heldtogether by circular rings or hoops surrounding the drum and mutuallyspaced throughout the length of the drum.

The drum may be rotatably supported on flanged rollers engaging tracksencircling the drum and mounted thereon.

The barking drum may be divided into a series of individual drumsections.

During the barking operation the logs are sprayed with Water in order tofacilitate both the actual stripping operation and the removal of thebark from the drum.

In winter when the logs may be coated with ice it is sometimesadvantageous to use hot water, especially in the portion of the drumadjacent the feeding end of the device, for instance in the first drumsection. In order that the hot water may act upon the logs as long aspossible, the first drum section may have a design differing from thatof the remaining sections in that the said first section may have animpervious shell and restricted end openings, so that a water sump isformed in the bottom of the section. However, this interferes with theremoval of the bark from the drum. Still, in winter the advantage ofthis design may outweigh the said inconvenience.

In other seasons the benefit from the hot bath in the bottom of thefirst barking drum section Will not be nearly as great as the drawbackscaused by the imperfect removal of the bark from the drum section.

The object of the present invention is to provide a log barking devicecomprising a series of drum sections and which, if desired, may beoperated with a Water sump in the bottom of at least the first drumsection, but which in case such an operation is not wanted, provides fora bark discharge through openings at the periphery of the drum sections-as in ordinary barking drums.

To this end there is provided easily releasable sealing means forsealing the bark discharge openings in at least one drum section, thisdrum section being provided with end openings of smaller diameter thanthe diameter of the drum.

As such releasable sealing means may be secured to a section of the samedesign as the remaining sections except for the restricted end'openings,it Will be appreciated that when the releasable sealing means areremoved the drum will operate in substantially the same way as the saidremaining sections, i.e., without a water sump, the openings permittingfree removal of bark and water.

On the other hand, the means may easily be fitted on the section so asto substantially seal the bark discharge openings. In this respect itshould be mentioned that for maintaining a certain water level in thedrum section it is not necessary for the sealing means to provide anabsolutely water-tight seal.

Further features of the invention will appear from the followingdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings whichillustrate two embodiments of the sealing means in accordance with theinvention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view of a barking drum section provided with sealing meansin the form of thin flexible plates.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary section taken on the line IIII of FIG. 1 but ona larger scale.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-section corresponding to FIG. 2, butillustrating a barking drum section in which slot-like openings betweenbarking irons are sealed by means of bars, each releasably secured inand sealing one opening in a drum section.

FIG. 4 is a view of one of the sealing bars illustrated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an end view on a larger scale of the bar in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-section illustrating how a bar may beclamped in a slot-like opening between two barking irons.

The drum illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises barking ir-ons 1 spacedperipherally so that slots 2 are formed between the irons. Bark andwater may be discharged through the slots 2 when the sealing means ofthe invention are removed. The barking irons 1 are interconnected so asto form a drum by means of circular head plates 3 and rings or hoops 4.To each of the outer hoops 4 (only one is shown in FIG. 1) there issecured a carrier ring 5 having a track 6 running on bearing rolls 7. Toa central hoop 4 there is secured a toothed wheel rim 8 engaging a gear(not shown) for rotating the drum.

The head plates 3 form end walls extending a short distance inwardlyfrom the periphery of the drum so that the end openings are of smallerdiameter than the diameter of the drum. The central inlet opening issomewhat smaller than the outlet opening, so that water will flowthrough the drum. The outlet opening is further provided with a shortcylindrical sleeve member 9 adapted to extend into the next drumsection.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the slots 2 are sealed by means ofthin and preferably flexible plates 10, for instance stainless steelplates of a thickness of 2 mm. These plates 10 are provided with flanges11 for releasably uniting e.g. six plates into a continuous sleevesurrounding the periphery of the drum section between the circular rings4.

FIGS. 3 to 6 illustrate another embodiment of the sealing means. Inaccordance with this embodiment the slotformed openings 2 between thebarking irons 1 are sealed by means of bars 12 which are clamped in theopenings from the inside by means of bolts 13 welded to the bars 12 andextending through the openings between the barking irons. As illustratedin FIG. 5, nuts 14 in threaded engagement with the bolts 13 forceabutment members 15 against the edges of the barking irons, whereby thebar 12 is clamped in the slot 2 so as to seal the same.

I claim:

1. A log barking device comprising a series of openended rotatable drumsections having discharge openings for discharge of bark at theperiphery at least one of said drum sections having end openings ofsmaller diameter than the diameter of the drum and releasable sealingmeans for sealing the discharge openings in at least the drum sectionformed with end openings of reduced diameter.

2. A log barking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein 3 said sealingmeans comprise thin plates which are releasably maintained in positionon the said drum section.

3. A log barking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sealingmeans comprises a plurality of bars, said discharge openings beingslot-like openings, each releasably secured in and sealing one of saidslot-like discharge openings at the periphery of the drum section.

4. A log barking device as claimed in claim 3, wherein each bar carriesbolts adapted to extend from the inside of the drum section through oneof said discharge openings, and cooperating abutment members and nutsfor mounting on said bolts from the outer side of said openings forsecuring the sealing bars in the respective discharge openings.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,337,404 12/1943Newton 144208 2,658,539 11/1953 McClay 144208 10 WILLIAM W. DYER, JR.,Primary Examiner.

W. D. BRAY, Assistant Examiner.

1. A LOG BARKING DEVICE COMPRISING A SERIES OF OPENENDED ROTATABLE DRUMSECTIONS HAVING DISCHARGE OPENINGS FOR DISCHARGE OF BARK OF THEPERIPHERY AT LEAST ONE OF SAID DRUM SECTIONS HAVING END OPENINGS OFSMALLER DIAMETER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE DRUM AND RELEASABLE SEALINGMEANS FOR SEALING THE DISCHARGE OPENINGS IN AT LEAST THE DRUM SECTIONFORMED WITH END OPENINGS OF REDUCED DIAMETER.